Ice dispenser having stages with different feed rates



Jan. 21, 196

Filed Sept. 18, 1967 R. J. ALVAREZ ICE DISPENSER HAVING STAGES WITH DIFFERENT FEED RATES Sheet I of 2 .NVENTOR. ROBE RT 3'. ALVAREZ.

H \s ATTOR MEX Jan. 21, 1969 R. J. ALVAREZ ICE DISPENSER HAVING STAGES WITH DIFFERENT FEED RATES Sheet 2,

Filed Sept. 18. 1967 INVENTOR. ROBERT 3'. ALVAREZ ms ATTORNEY United States Patent 3,422,994 ICE DISPENSER HAVING STAGES WITH DIFFERENT FEED RATES Robert J. Alvarez, Louisville, Ky., assignor to General Electric Company, a corporation of New York Filed Sept. 18, 1967, Ser. No. 668,364 U.S. Cl. 222-240 Claims Int. Cl. Gtllf 11/20 ABSTRACT OF THE DISCLOSURE An ice piece dispenser comprising a storage receptacle having a dispensing outlet in the front wall thereof and rotatable dispensing means including a feed section for metering ice pieces to the outlet and a conveyor section for both conveying ice pieces to the feed section and agitating and separating ice pieces stored in the receptacle.

Background of the invention The present invention relates to an automatic ice manufacturing and dispensing service for a conventional household refrigerator.

Many modern household refrigerators feature automatic ice making apparatus including a collecting or storage bin or receptacle in which the ice pieces are stored at below freezing temperatures for removal by the user. Various ice makers previously used or proposed have also included means for dispensing the ice pieces individually or in batches of two or three pieces. However, such devices, illustrated for example in Patents 2,779,165- Pichler et al. and 3,226,968--Winkler et al. have been of such construction that they were useful only for commercial purposes or as separate ice manufacturing and dispensing appliances. In other words, their designs were not suitable for incorporation into the limited freezer storage space available in the usual household refrigerator. While household refrigerators including ice making and dispensing services have also been proposed, such services have usually involved the direct dispensing of ice pieces from the ice making component so that the ice pieces available during any given period were limited to the production rate of the ice maker. Such services are shown and described, for example, in Patents 2,212,405- Rose et al. and 2,900,803-Horton.

Summary of the invention The present invention is directed to ice piece dispensing means particularly adapted for use in conjunction with an automatic ice make-r operating within the freezer compartment of a household refrigerator or more specifically in combination with the collecting or storage receptacle of the type employed for receiving ice pieces produced by the automatic ice maker.

In accordance with the illustrated embodiment of the invention, the ice piece dispenser comprises a receptacle for receiving and collecting the ice pieces formed by an automatic ice maker. The receptacle includes a discharge opening in the front wall thereof through which ice pieces are discharged as required by the user by operation of a dispensing means supported substantially horizontally and rotatably in the receptacle. The dispensing means comprising a feed section adapted to discharge ice pieces through the opening and a conveying section adapted to convey ice pieces from the more remote portions of the receptacle to the feed section. The feed section comprises a cylindrical collar having an outlet at the front end thereof communicating with the opening and an inlet at the rear end thereof. Means, such as a screw auger, is contained within the collar for advancing ice pieces from the inlet to the outlet end of the collar upon rotation of the dispensing means. The conveying section for conveying ice pieces to the inlet end of the feed section includes helical means in the form of a heavy wire or rod bent to form a helix of one or more turns spaced from the feed section and coaxially aligned and connected thereto. The conveyor section and feed section are spaced from one another and so arranged within the receptacle that ice pieces which do not enter the feed section are recirculated and agitated within the receptacle thereby preventing the formation of ice clusters and breaking up any clusters of ice pieces which may be present within the receptacle.

Brief description of the drawing In the accompanying drawing:

FIGURE 1 is a front elevational view of the ice dispensing means of the present invention incorporated in the freezer compartment of a household refrigerator;

FIGURE 2 is a sectional view taken generally along lines 22 of FIGURE 1;

FIGURE 3 is an enlarged sectional view similar to FIGURE 2 illustrating certain details of construction of the dispensing means;

FIGURE 4 is a front view illustrating the manner in which ice pieces are metered from the feed section; and

FIGURE 5 is a sectional view taken generally along lines 5-5 of FIGURE 4.

Description of the preferred embodiment With reference to FIGURES l and 2 of the drawing, there is illustrated a household refrigerator comprising a freezer compartment 1 having an access opening at the front thereof closed by a door 2. Within the upper portion of the freezer compartment 1, there is mounted an automatic ice maker 3 which may be any of the well known types presently provided in household refrigerators for the automatic production of ice pieces, generally referred to as ice cubes regardless of their particular shapes.

In accordance with the present invention, ice pieces produced by the ice maker 3 are discharged into a storage bin or receptacle 4 which serves not only to store the manufactured ice pieces at sub-freezing temperatures but also forms part of an ice dispenser designed to autornatically dispense the stored ice pieces as required by the user.

The receptacle 4, which is removably supported on a supporting shelf 5 below the ice maker 3, is preferably relatively wide and relatively shallow and includes vertical front and rear walls 9 and 10 and an arcuate or concave bottom wall 11 merging with slanting side walls 12. The front wall 9 of the receptacle 4 is provided with a dispensing opening 14 above and spaced from the lowest portion of the bottom wall 11.

For the purpose of conveying ice pieces stored in the receptacle 4 to the discharge opening 14, there is provided within the receptacle 4 a dispensing means generally indicated by the numeral 15. It extends lengthwise of the receptacle 4 adjacent the lowermost portion of the arcuate botom wall 11 and in alignment with the discharge opening 14 and is pivotally supported in a horizontal position on the front and rear walls 9 and 10 of the receptacle 4 for rotational movement about its horizontal axis. It essentially comprises a feed section 16 at the front end thereof and a conveyor section 17 connected to the feed section and forming the rear portion of the dispensing means.

The feed section 16, as is more fully shown in FIG- URES 3 and 5 of the drawing, comprises an open ended cylindrical sleeve or collar 18 of a diameter such that with the front end of the dispensing means pivotally supported by a bearing member 19 adjacent the discharge opening 14, the bottom of the sleeve 18 is preferably positioned in a shallow arcuate depression 20 in the bottom wall 11 of the receptacle 4. The depression is of a depth such that the inner surface 21 of the collar 18 is in substantially the same plane or slightly below, the adjacent surface 22 of the receptacle bottom wall to facilitate entrance of ice pieces into the collar 18.

The collar 18 contains means, such as the conveyor screw or auger 25 rotatable with the collar 18, for picking up ice pieces at the inlet end 26 of the feed section and advancing these ice pieces to the discharge opening 14 during rotation of the dispensing means. Preferably, as is more fully described and claimed in the copending application Ser. No. 668,600 filed concurrently herewith and assigned to the same assignee as the present invention, this means is of a construction such that during normal operation of the ice dispenser, a plurality of ice pieces are stored within the feed section in a manner such that a controllable number of ice pieces are available for discharge through the discharge opening 14 upon each half revolution of the dispensing means.

The conveying section 17 may be of any construction such that upon rotation thereof with the feed section, ice pieces are conveyed thereby to the feed section inlet. A screw or conveyor auger similar to that contained in the feed section collar may be used. A preferred conveying section comprises an open coil of wire or rod, such as that illustrated in the drawing, so designed as to also agitate and circulate the ice pieces stored within the receptacle 4. It includes, as shown particularly in FIG- URE 3 of the drawing, a conveyor portion 27 comprising one or more helical coils designed upon rotation of the dispensing means to transport ice pieces from the rear of the bucket to the inlet end 22 of the feed section and a second volute or tapered portion 28 connecting the first portion 27 to the center shaft or axis 29 of the feed member.

The portion 28 spaces the main portion 27 from the inlet end of the feed section a distance sufiicient so that ice pieces conveyed to the feed section but not entering that section can move in a radial direction out of the dispensing means and be recirculated in a manner to be more fully described hereinafter. In the illustrated embodiment of the invention, this tapering or conical portion 28 is formed by spiralling the wire or rod from the portion 27 through a sharply decreasing radius, but at the same pitch, such that it axially joins the shaft 29 about 180 from the point of initial decrease in radius. If the conveying section comprises the usual conveyor auger, its forward end is also spaced from the feed section inlet.

The rear end of the conveyor section 17 has secured thereto a sleeve 30 adapted to loosely fit over or within an inwardly extending annular flange 31 on the rear receptacle wall 6. The flange 31 defines an opening in the rear wall 10 for receiving the end of a shaft 32 forming part of the motor and speed reduction drive means mounted on the rear portion of shelf 5. This shaft 32 includes radially opposed drive pins 33 adapted to engage cooperating extensions 34 on the sleeve 30 to rotate the dispensing means in a counterclockwise direction as viewed in FIGURE 4 of the drawing upon energization of the drive means motor.

The bearing member 19 and flange 30 or shaft 32 support the dispensing means so that the bottom portion 27 is preferably spaced from the bottom wall of the receptacle 4 a distance less than the smallest dimension of the ice pieces stored in the receptacle 4 and preferably about one-half of that dimension.

It has been found that jamming of the dispensing means by accumulated ice pieces is substantailly eliminated by employing a receptacle of an effective storage width of at least twice, preferably about three times the diameter of the dispensing means and a height about equal to the diameter of the dispensing means. These optimum dimensional relationships and the smooth arcuate shape of the bottom wall substantially prevent jamming of the ice pieces at various points along the dispensing means and Cir provide a relatively free circulation and agitation of ice pieces throughout the receptacle.

During rotation of the dispensing means, in a counterclockwise direction as viewed in FIGURE 4, the ice piece circulation follows a definite pattern. Ice pieces picked up by the conveyor section 17 are advanced towards the feed section where some of the ice pieces enter the feed section for ultimate discharge through the discharge opening 14. Preferably the conveyor section is designed to supply ice pieces to the feed section at a rate in excess of the rate at which ice pieces can enter the feed section. The excess ice pieces travel radially into the areas on one side or the other of the feed section 16. Then under the pressure of following ice pieces, they move along the side Walls to the rear of the receptacle where they are again in a position to be picked up by the conveyor section.

Clumps or clusters of ice pieces, consisting of a plurality of ice pieces joined together at isolated points, cannot pass through the feed section. Some of these clusters are broken up while in the area ahead of the feed section either by the rotating feed section entrance or by the rotating tapered portion 28. Those which exit through the open section between the main conveyor section coils 27 and the feed section 16 may be broken up by agitation thereof with other ice pieces during the recirculation of the ice pieces within the receptacle.

It has been found that the rotation of collar 18 is desirable to turn clumps of ice pieces which cannot enter the feed section away from the feed section entrance and prevent jamming of the ice pieces between the conveyor section and feed section. These functions cannot be performed if the collar is enclosed or is arranged to be stationary even though the advancing component con tained therein, such as the screw auger 25, is rotated. More specifically, as the inlet end of the feed section including the collar 18 rotates at the same speed as the conveyor section, a plurality of ice pieces or a clump of interconnected ice pieces which would tend to jam between the conveyor and stationary feed sections are rotated by and with the dispensing means into contact with adjacent ice pieces to be jostled free of the dispensing means.

The discharge opening 14 communicates with only the upper portion of the feed section, or in other words, the lower part of the feed section outlet is closed by a dam generally indicated by the numeral 38. As a result, the ice pieces must be lifted by the front edge 37 of an auger blade above the edge 39 of the dam 38 before they can pass through the discharge opening 14. Also, as is shown in FIGURES 4 and 5 of the drawing, the ice pieces generally travel in single file through the channel or channels in the feed section 18. Because of the single file arrangement of the ice pieces, no ice piece can be discharged through the discharge opening 14 until the foremost or front ice piece indicated by the numeral 40 has been raised by the blade edge 37 to a point clearing the edge 39. At this point, this ice piece and any ice piece such as the ice piece 41 immediately behind it, which is still on a downwardly sloping portion of the auger blade or in other words has not been moved over top center position relative to the shaft or hub 29, will also be discharged through the opening 14. Thus the relative height of edge 39 controls the number of ice pieces periodically discharged by the dispensing means and by control of the energization of the drive means, the user can select the total number of ice pieces dispensed at any one time.

In order to provide adjustable means for selectively controlling the number of ice pieces periodically discharged by the feed section, there may be provided an adjustable dam 43, such that the operating edge 39, preferably extending radially from the auger axis represented by hearing 19, can be raised or lowered. Adjustable darn 43 is illustrated as being rotatable about the axis 19 to thereby vary the effective height of the operating edge 39 relative to that axis and is designed to be locked in any desired position by a set screw 44. With the edge 39 slanted in its lowermost dotted line position 45, an average of three ice pieces of the indicated dimensions will be discharged during each discharge period. By raising or elevating the edge 39 above its solid line position the number of ice pieces can be limited to one per operating cycle. To obtain an accurate control of the number of ice pieces periodically dispensed, it is necessary that the lowermost position of the edge 39 be above the lowermost portion of the feed section, or in other words at a point such that the front edge of the auger blade is moving upwardly when it clears the edge 39.

As a further means for preventing jamming of the dispensing means, the front end of the dispensing means should be loosely mounted or supported within the receptacle 4 by forming the front bearing as a slot. Thus the dispensing means can move a short distance vertically, thereby clearing or more effectively dislodging any accumulated ice pieces which would otherwise tend to jam the dispensing means and interfere with the rotation thereof.

During operation of the dispensing means, small chips of ice collect in the receptacle 4. In order to maintain the space beneath the feed section collar 18 free of such chips, the exterior surface of the collar may be provided with a spiralled rib 46, reverse spiralled as compared with the screw auger 25, whereby such chips will be swept from beneath the collar 18 to the more open portions of the receptacle rearwardly of the feed section during operation of the dispensing means. This rib 46 also urges ice pieces in the area to each side of the feed section rearwardly until they enter the stream of ice pieces circulated by the conveyor section.

While there has been shown and described a specific embodiment of the invention, it will be understood that it is not limited thereto and it is intended by the appended claims to cover all such modifications and applications as fall within the true spirit and scope of the invention.

What I claim as new and desire to secure by Letters Patent of the United States is:

1. An ice piece dispenser comprising:

a receptacle for receiving and collecting ice pieces, said receptacle including a front wall having a dispensing opening therein;

dispensing means supported in said receptacle and comprising a rotatable feed section positioned adjacent said opening and a conveying section rearwardly from said feed section;

said feed section comprising a cylindrical collar having an outlet at the front end thereof communicating with said opening and an inlet at the rear end thereof and means within said collar for advancing the ice pieces through said collar to said opening upon rotation of said feed section;

said conveying section including means adapted upon movement thereof to move ice pieces to said feed section.

2. The dispenser of claim 1 in which said receptacle includes slanting wall portions spaced from said dispensing means to form recirculation areas whereby ice pieces which do not enter said feed section under the action of said conveyor section move radially into said areas where their direction of movement is reversed towards the rear end of said receptacle.

3. The dispenser of claim 1 in which said conveying section is spaced from said feed section a distance sufficient to facilitate radial movement of ice pieces from between :said conveying section and said feed section thereby to prevent jamming of ice pieces at the feed section inlet.

4. The dispenser of claim 1 in which said conveying section comprises a helically coiled wire member including a main portion containing at least one coil operable to advance ice pieces towards said feed section and a generally volute portion connecting main coil to said feed section, said volute portion being about in length, having substantially the same pitch as said main coil and terminating in an axially extending end connected to said feed section.

5. An ice piece dispenser comprising:

a receptacle for receiving and collecting ice pieces, said receptacle including a front wall having a dispensing opening therein and an arcuate bottom wall,

dispensing means rotatably and horizontally supported in said receptacle and comprising a feed section adjacent said opening and a conveying section spaced rearwardly from said feed section and connected thereto;

said feed section comprising a cylindrical collar having an outlet at the front end thereof communicating with said opening and an inlet at the rear end thereof, said collar containing a conveyor screw within and substantially coextensive with the interior of said collar for advancing the ice pieces through said collar to said opening upon rotation of said dispensing means;

said conveying section including means operable during rotation of said dispensing means for moving ice pieces to said feed section.

6. The dispenser of claim 5 in which said opening includes adjustable dam means for selectively controlling the number of ice pieces periodically discharged through said opening by rotation of said dispensing means.

7. An ice piece dispenser comprising:

a receptacle for receiving and collecting ice pieces, said receptacle including a front wall having a dispensing opening therein and a concave bottom wall having a shallow arcuate depression therein adjacent said front wall and below said outlet;

dispensing means for discharging ice pieces through said outlet, said dispensing means comprising integrally connected axially aligned conveying and feed sections;

means for rotatably supporting said dispensing means in a horizontal position in said receptacle with said feed section positioned in said depression and adjacent said opening;

said feed section comprising a cylindrical collar having an inlet at one end thereof and containing a conveyor means substantially coextensive with the length of said collar and secured thereto for advancing the ice pieces through said collar to said opening upon rotation of said dispensing means;

said conveying section including helical means for moving ice pieces toward said feed section at a rate greater than the rate at which ice pieces can enter said feed section;

said receptacle opening having a lower edge portion preventing discharge of ice pieces from substantially the lower half of said feed section.

8. The dispenser of claim 7 in which said supporting means permits limited movement of said dispensing means relative to said receptacle bottom wall.

9. The dispenser of claim 7 in which said helical means comprises an open coiled wire member spaced from said feed section.

10. The dispenser of claim 9 in which said helical means is connected to and spaced from said feed section by a volute extension of said wire member.

References Cited UNITED STATES PATENTS 3,268,118 8/1966 Hoenisch 222-240 X 3,322,429 5/ 1967 Cervelli 2224l3 X 3,327,903 6/1967 Waller 222241 X STANLEY H. TOLLBERG, Primary Examiner. 

